


Feathers

by earlgreyteawrites



Category: Voltron - Fandom, klance - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Bi, Fluff, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, KEITH FIC, M/M, Vld keith - Freeform, Wings AU, keith kogane - Freeform, klance, klance fic, klance fluff, lance fic, lance mcclain - Freeform, lance serrano - Freeform, vld keith fic, vld klance - Freeform, vld klance fic, vld lance - Freeform, vld lance fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 17:04:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16857910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgreyteawrites/pseuds/earlgreyteawrites
Summary: Keith's feathers have been falling out an he doesn't know what to do. Everything seems to be falling apart, but mostly his wings. Eventually, there's only one person he can think of turning to.





	Feathers

  Keith was starting to panic. The worse he felt, the more feathers fell out. And the more feathers that fell out, the worse he felt. It was a never ending cycle of pain and misery that had been going on ever since he realized….it.

    At first he’d thought it was molting. Obviously it had come a little bit earlier than he expected, so he took the week off as most people did during their molting period (which came every three months). But during the week, he wasn’t at all emotionally unstable, his magic was normal, calm even. His feathers weren’t all out of place and gross. In fact, they looked completely normal. But what made it worse was…it wasn’t the down falling off, it was the feathers themselves.

    This was obviously a little bit concerning at first, but he’d heard of people losing the whole feathers before and decided it wasn’t a big deal. His molting was just going to last longer than two weeks, maybe a whole month if he wasn’t lucky.

    It turns out, luck wasn’t on Keith’s side in the least. The molting passed his usual limit of a week, meaning he had to go to work with his feathers shedding. So he reluctantly went back to his café, opening it and fitting a net over his wings underneath his shirt. Normally he never kept his wings under his shirt, it was uncomfortable and generally annoying, but he made the excuse to his employees that they were aching recently and having them tucked made it feel better. It was, thankfully, very convincing.  

    He functioned the best he could, but every few hours he would feel a feather leave his body, watching with embarrassment as it sometimes went through the net and hit the floor. Losing a feather in a public place was essentially going out naked. But thankfully, nobody saw as he grabbed it and tucked it into his pocket, later storing it in his bag after work.

    Later that week, Shiro had started to notice his weird behavior. He’d asked him if he was feeling okay, touching his forehead and taking his temperature with his magic. To his humiliation, dozens of feathers he’d been hiding fell from his shirt. It had been an instinct to snap his wings open, thus breaking the net and scattering them everywhere. Thankfully they were just in his apartment and Shiro had seen him like this before, a little teenager molting all over the floor. But as an adult it was embarrassing to lose himself like this. Shiro helped him clean it up, gently telling him that it was okay and he had no need to be embarrassed. Keith reluctantly stuffed the feathers into his bag, feeling his cheeks heating with utter humiliation through the rest of his visit.

    Three weeks passed. It was beginning to get worse. And it wasn’t just worse because his feathers were falling out, no. It was because he had to take another week off, again, with the excuse that he was going to get his ‘aching wings’ checked out. Although, the aching part was no longer a lie, having them tied up in his shirt for nearly eight hours a day hurt. But that wasn’t the only problem.

    He’d also dumped every single one of his shifts on Lance. His poor, innocent friend (and crush) who deserved nothing more than a break. Lance had accepted the shifts with the encouragement that he was okay with it and needed more money anyways so he could finally pay off his apartment. Keith felt horrible as he left the restaurant that day, thirty feathers popping out of his wings all at once.

    Keith texted Lance from his couch, stretching out his wings. They were molting everywhere by this point, feathers falling out alarmingly fast. There weren’t any bare patches, so he figured it wasn’t anything he should worry about. But one thing he had noticed was every time he talked to Lance…it got worse.

_Hope you feel better soon Mr.Grumpy Pants!_

    Lance had texted jokingly. Something hurtful clenched in Keith’s chest. He felt more feathers shedding, his wings beginning to shiver. It ached.

    A month passed.

    Keith was going mad. It seemed as though every time he spoke to Lance, more fell out. And every time Lance texted him something sweet to check up on him or whatever, there would be that clench in his chest. Stress and anxiety ate him away with each feather he shed. He took more days off, he apologized to Lance. One night he ended up crying over the phone, apologizing through his sobs as a tired, overworked Lance gently encouraged him, calming him down the best he could.

    Keith got a bald patch that night. And for the first time since his first molting, he hadn’t been able to fly.

    He felt immobilized as more steadily formed over the next few days. He called Shiro and finally explained the problem, but Shiro had nothing helpful or embarrassing to explain, simply telling him he should go to a doctor. But Keith didn’t want a doctor. This problem was humiliating. He couldn’t just have a stranger touching his wings, that was…that was really uncomfortable for him to think about.

    It was only when Lance showed up with flowers and a get well card that Keith realized what exactly was causing the problem.

    He tied up his wings. Lance had thankful texted him a warning he was coming, so Keith cleared his feathers off of his apartment, stuffing them in the trash bag he’d been hoarding them in, just in case. He hid his wings underneath his shirt, only to be greeted with a sympathetic Lance, wings ruffled shyly and nervously as he handed Keith get well flowers and a card. It was the second time Keith had burst into tears, but not because he felt bad, and not because he felt good. It was necessarily relief, but it wasn’t that he was scared either. Because he realized the feathers were falling out due to stress. His stress over these feelings he had. His feelings for Lance.

    Lance made Keith dinner, comforting him quietly as Keith cried for a good ten minutes over his problem. Thankfully, Lance interpreted it as pain, not burning humiliation and self hatred at himself for being such an idiot. Lance was kind enough to feed him, wipe his tears and bring him to bed, tucking him in and even giving him a back rub. It was so kind and gentle that Keith nearly started sobbing again. He whispered soft things, telling Keith that it was going to be okay and that he’d be there if Keith ever needed him. And then, with a final goodbye hug, he left.

    When Lance was finally gone, Keith’s wings were nearly naked.

    And of course the day he realized the problem was the day before he needed to fix it. If all of his feathers fell out, he would never be able to fly again. His wings would be bare and naked forever, unable to be shown in public.

But fixing the problem meant being honest about his feelings. And being honest about feelings was something Keith wasn’t so sure about. Unfortunately, it would be the only way to end his internal stress, the stress and worry and unsureness that he’d unintentionally let build for just about a year, and the signs were finally showing. But Keith knew how lucky he was to have realized it now. He couldn’t let the moment go to waste, or else he was going to pay the price.

    Keith picked up his phone, hands shaking an anxiety building him as he looked at his wallpaper, a picture of him and Lance with the little caption ‘Best Friends!’. His heart ached, leaving only a small row of feathers left on his naked wings as the rest fell to his bed.

    Lance sat on his couch, perfectly content with a cup of tea in his fingers. He’d finally preened his feathers, so they were fluffy and comfortable again. The television played quietly in the background as he wrapped himself in a blanket, letting his feathers fluff out over the cushions. It was nice, a similar feeling to freshly shaved legs. The way his wings rubbed against the couch made gentle, happy feelings run through his body. Lance sighed, content as he nested himself easily into the covers. Finally.

    It had been weeks since Lance got a break, not that it was necessarily Keith’s fault that this had happened to him. He’d been working his wings off to pay off the rest of his apartment anyways. And the extra work had turned out to really benefit him. It had all been worth it to give Keith a break and finally buy himself his apartment, as well as that cute outfit he’d seen at the mall last weeks.

    He’d specifically asked his friends not to visit, mostly because he needed a day to unwind. Plus he was just really worried about Keith after last night, and if Keith needed something he should be available. Keith literally never cried, and the fact that he’d sobbed his eyes out over the phone and in front of him in the radius of a couple weeks terrified him. He had decided it was best to give him space, though the worry was causing a little bit of his down to shift, ready to molt if his stress got any higher than the current levels.

    What had really worried him the most though was what he’d seen in Keith’s bed. A couple of his whole feathers, not down, feathers had fallen off. At first Lance had been really embarrassed and almost a little jealous. Feathers only came off like that when a person was either stressed or really, really happy, or if they had a certain disease. But Lance slowly realized it wasn’t his business what happened in Keith’s apartment…though his crush made it a little hard not to wonder or be a little bit jealous.

    But Lance’s thoughts were interrupted by someone rapping on his door. He jumped, nearly spilling his tea over himself in the process. Thankfully it only ended up sloshing dangerously as he set it to the side, a little bit of annoyance sparking up inside of him. He walked over the door. He’d told his friend’s not to come today, why was there someone here? He hadn’t ordered anything that he could think of and he’d signed all of the contracts and stuff with his landlord yesterday. This was supposed to be a me day.

    Lance groaned, moving the locks and jostling the doorknob for a minute before finally opening it.

    Standing there was the last person he expected to see, a trash bag clutched in his hands, cheeks flushed and a humiliated look crossing his face. Keith was shaking, looking up at Lance desperately. For a moment, Lance was shocked enough that his jaw dropped. Dozens of questions zipped through his head. Like, why was he here? How was he even able to make it five blocks down the streets when he literally couldn’t make it to work? Was he okay? Was he hurt? Sick? Keith finally answered at least one question, staring Lance straight in the eyes as he said it.

    “I need help.” he blubbered. Lance didn’t even hesitate, letting Keith in immediately. Keith bustled inside, cheeks flushed as he dumped the trash bag to the floor, tears steadily building in his eyes. He hesitated, blushing horribly red as he looked at Lance from the middle of his living room. And to both Lance’s surprise and embarrassment, Keith stripped off his shirt right then and there. But Lance’s embarrassment quickly faded, replaced with horror as Keith hugged himself, looking away and stretching his wings. But they weren’t the wings Lance was used to gazing at. The magnificence of his lovely red feathers was gone, replaced by bare, naked skin. There were only five feathers remaining on each side. He was bare, naked…and obviously terrified.

    “Keith, i-is this the reason you haven’t been coming to work?” Lance breathed, worried rushing over to Keith. Keith nodded, tears building higher in his eyes, like a dam beginning to flood. “Did you not go to a doctor? A hospital? Anything?” he asked frantically. Lance was a professional when it came to wings, he only worked at the café on the side while he looked for a real job. Seeing this…seeing this almost made him feel sick. He knew how to fix it, but…

    “I’ve been so stressed out.” Keith blubbered, “I just thought I was molting, I…I ignored it and I took time off work, but it’s been a month and a half-”

    “A month and a half?!” Lance echoed. Keith winced, but continued.

    “Please….can you put them back on, I have them all in the bag.” he sniffled, face steadily growing redder with humiliation. Losing feathers was a personal thing. It was embarrassing because of how vulnerable it made you. Lovers often molted around similar times. They would molt together, almost like a mating ritual, but loving and soft. It was a time meant for kissing and cuddling, a time of emotional vulnerability. If you molted in public as an adult, it was essentially the equivalent of stripping in front of everyone and doing the tango.

    But in a darker sense, though it was exceptionally rare, people in love would molt their whole feathers when felt the feeling wasn’t returned. Another personal problem that people were afraid of. It was unstoppable for people with that disease, and though it seemed dramatic, a lot didn’t mean it to be, it wasn’t on purpose. Although, that wasn’t a loving experience, that was a horrific one that caused pain and suffering. It made the wings ache and the person almost lose themselves. It was a horrible experience. That was another reason for the social construct of wings.

    Thankfully Keith had clearly said stress, which gave Lance a little relief, but Lance didn’t stop worrying. He’d seen signs on Keith…they way his feathers glimmered unnaturally beautifully, those patterns, the dots. Those were always the kind of people with the disease (though that thankfully wasn’t general knowledge). He was protective of his emotions, he had never had a lover before. Lance didn’t think he’d even been kissed on the lips before, seeing as the only person who actually kissed Keith was his big brother Shiro. Keith could always be lying to him, or he could also be totally unaware of it. Lance just prayed his suspicions weren’t correct.

    Lance felt like he was intruding on Keith’s privacy, but Keith had come to Lance out of his own free will with his bag of feathers. Keith wanted help, which was something he rarely ever wanted or even asked for. Lance would never say no to that.

    “…It’s okay Keith. Don’t cry.” Lance mumbled, waving his hands at his kitchen drawers. A tupperware flew out, immediately filling itself with water in the sink.

    “I’m sorry, this is so embarrassing-”

    “No, it’s okay. You don’t have to be embarrassed. I know this sucks and I know you feel exposed, but, it’s going to be okay.” Lance whispered softly, “I’ll take care of you.” but just as he tried to encourage Keith, a feather flitted to the floor. Keith covered his face, whimpering. Lance snatched it off of the floor, adding it to the bag. He wasted no time running over to his now filled tupperware of water, instructing Keith to sit on the floor. Keith did as he was told, shivering and crying as his remaining feathers hung dangerously loose from what was left of his once beautiful red wings. Now, they were leathery, held together by bones. Lance knew Keith probably felt disgusting. Lance just wanted to help. And even if Keith’s wings didn’t heal, Lance wanted Keith to know he would still think Keith was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

    The process took painstakingly long compared to how little time he had to save Keith’s wings. But Lance managed to enchant the water and poured the feathers inside of the mixture, carefully stirring with his arms until the feathers dissolved into the water, creating a jello-looking paste. It looked like red slime, but had the consistency of whipped cream, which honestly made the process kind of soothing. Most basic doctors knew how to do this, it was the first thing they taught you in medical school. Lance had done this as long as he could remember, even to himself when he’d been stressed over his finals. He was a professional at it, so he knew what he was doing. And Lance wasted no time.

    “Sit in my lap.” he instructed. It was the easiest way to get the vulnerable parts, especially at the base of the wings. Keith sobbed, doing as he was told and buried his face in Lance’s shoulder. It was clear he was humiliated. It was clear he was feeling horrible and disgusting. Lance just wished he could fix his feelings like he could with his wings, but wishing wasn’t going to solve anything. The best thing he could do for Keith was to act.

    And so, it began.

    Lance spread the mixture quietly over Keith’s wings, watching it gradually solidify to his wings, like a very light, gentle whipped cream cast. Keith choked and cried into his shoulder, face getting impossibly redder with every moment Lance caked his wings with the substance. Every sob made Lance’s heart clench up. He knew how horrible Keith must’ve felt. In the effort to calm him, Lance gently spoke to his friend.

    “It’s going to be okay. I know it’s scary but it’s okay.” Lance mumbled softly, “I already covered the last of your feathers, they’re safe, no more will fall down.” Keith just cried in response, gripping Lance’s shoulder tightly in his hands. Fat tears traced down his cheeks and sobs Lance had never heard before crawled out of his throat. He sounded so desperate, so humiliated. It was awful to listen to his best friend cry like this, so he worked as fast and efficiently as he could to spare him some pain.

   “I’m sorry Lance.” Keith sobbed.

    “No, no, no.” Lance said quickly, “Don’t apologize sweetheart. You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” this just seemed to confuse Keith, sending him down with more sobs and hiccups. He looked absolutely miserable.

    Thankfully, Lance finished, all of the mixture gone by the time he was done. He gently moved Keith off of his lap, smoothing down the temporary cast and holding it there for a moment. It was probably the best cast he’d ever made. He enchanted it so Keith could move his wings as he pleased without breaking the cover before going over to his sink and washing his hands.

    Keith sat quietly on his couch, fat tears still tracing down his cheeks. He shakily reached for tissues, but Lance beat him to it, grabbing them off of his coffee table. Keith folded his wings as Lance gently wiped his tears away with one hand, using the other to stroke his hair.

    “Hey….you did a good job.” Lance mumbled softly, “A very, very good job. That was the best cast I’ve ever done.” Keith looked up at him, still sniffling, but to Lance’s relief his lip quirked just a tiny bit. Sadly, it only lasted half of a second, lips going back to trembling. “…You know it’s going to be okay, right? Your feathers will come back sweetheart-” Keith suddenly cringed, pulling away. Lance felt his cheeks flush. Oops. He hadn’t meant to say that. Sometimes those things just came out, especially when he was trying to comfort someone. But the nickname hadn’t seemed to be the problem.

    “…They’re just gonna fall out again.” Keith blubbered, reaching up and wiping his eyes. Worry exploded inside of Lance, but he forced himself to stay calm.

   “What do you mean by that?” he asked, keeping his voice steady as he possibly could. Keith visibly gulped, forcing himself to look up at Lance. Tears trickled out of his eyes, bigger and fatter than ever before. Lance wanted to wipe them, but Keith didn’t let him, turning his face away.

    “…I have it. The disease.” Keith choked. Lance’s heart leapt up into his throat as Keith’s face crumpled. “I-I know you’ve mentioned it in the past, but…I never…I never once thought about it until now. It was….it was just so obvious. I’m such an idiot-”

    “You’re not an idiot.” Lance mumbled, but Keith continued on,

    “But I am!” he sobbed, “This is never going to stop because they obviously don’t like me back that way. And what if I have to keep doing this every month? What if I can’t fly anymore? Lance, what am I gonna do?!-”

    “Keith. Breathe.” Lance mumbled. Keith forced himself to take deep breaths, breathing in and sobbing out. Lance felt his entire chest tighten up. He leaned over, wrapping his arms carefully around Keith. Keith didn’t even tense up, he just leaned into the touch, crying harder than ever before. Lance swayed them gently in a soft movement, back and forth, back and forth. Keith sobbed and cried, blubbering incoherently into his shoulder, but Lance didn’t falter for one second. Keith was Lance’s top priority, his number one. They’d been best friends since freshman year of high school, and Lance didn’t plan on leaving just yet.

    Yes, his heart was a little bit broken, seeing as number one, Keith did have the disease. Number two, Keith had a crush on someone else. But Keith had trusted him with the information and that was what mattered. Lance could mourn his broken heart later, but Keith needed him now.

   “…You’re the bravest, smartest, most wonderful person I know. If they don’t like you back Keith…they’re an idiot. You deserve everything, and I plan to find that for you.” Lance whispered. Keith slowly calmed after what Lance said, sobs reducing to hiccups and a little bit of heavy breathing. Lance’s shoulder was a little bit damp, but he could care less. He’d gotten his friend to relax, that was what was important.

    They hugged each other for a long time, silence surrounding them in Lance’s little apartment. Keith completely relaxed, resting peacefully against Lance’s shoulder. He was a little bit afraid still, but he needed to do this. It was the only way,

    “Lance.” Keith mumbled.

    “Yeah?” Lance replied, voice gentle and soft. It made Keith’s heart ache. He was scared, but…Lance loved him. It may not be in the way Keith did, but…Lance still cared about him. They were best friends, they’d never leave each other over a crush.

    Keith took a deep breath, pressing himself closer to Lance. He wanted one last warm hug before he would need to force these feelings away. There was no use hesitating any longer. He needed to say this, not just to save himself, but hopefully so they could mend their relationship faster. He needed to do this. He needed to do it for the both of them.

    “I’m in love with you.”

    A stillness hung in the air, the quiet suddenly becoming more tense as Keith waited. If his feathers hadn’t been properly encased, they all would’ve fallen off by now. His heart was pumping madly, stress eating him away as Lance’s limbs went slack for those horrible heart wrenching moments. Keith wanted to scream, to cry, but…he’d expressed enough today, left only with tiredness and fear. So he waited, not patiently, but he waited.

    “O-oh…” Lance finally said. Keith thinks it was the worst thing he could’ve said. Keith squeezed his eyes shut, keeping his grip tight. He didn’t want Lance to look at his horrible tearstained face, especially not now. “…Oh.” Lance echoed again. “…Oh!” Keith resisted the urge to slap Lance. But the worst was yet to come. “Oh god…I’m so sorry.” Lance mumbled, his excitement suddenly fading. Keith lost all hope. “This is all my fault, your feathers, your job…” he mumble, guilt seeping into his voice.

    “N-no, it’s fine, it’s my-”

    “If I had just told you none of this would’ve happened.” Lance groaned, suddenly frustrated. “Jeez, I’m….god, I really am an idiot.” he mumbled. Silence drifted between them for a moment. Keith felt a little tense, but mostly just confused. Lance obviously felt guilty, his feathers were all frazzled and puffed up on his back from it.

    “You’re not an idiot-”

    “Yes. I am. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry I put you through this.” Lance mumbled, pulling Keith back. He cupped Keith’s face in his hands, tears gathering in his eyes, “I-I noticed all the signs, I was like, ninety percent sure you had the disease. I was so stupid not to notice it. I even saw some feathers last night on your bed…” Lance brushed his thumbs close to Keith’s eyes, his lips curling like he was trying not to cry. “I’m so glad you’re safe, but you’ve been going through this for more than a month?!” Keith felt his cheeks flushing horribly red,

    “…I’ve liked you for a year.” Lance paused, his cheeks getting as red as Keith’s. Then to Keith’s horror Lance started yelling.

    “You’ve been going through this for a year?!” he bellowed. Humiliation filled Keith. He didn’t know whether to be defensive or whether to cry or just sit there and take it, because Lance was clearly worried. He had no intention of making the confession more painful, he was just scared. But…Keith already knew Lance wasn’t going to like him back, he’d accepted it. He just wished he didn’t have to.

    Lance was shaking by this point as he looked at Keith with disbelief. Keith couldn’t bring himself to look Lance in the eyes. He was so embarrassed that it hurt, but it was the only way.

    “…I’m so sorry.” Lance whispered, face suddenly crumpling. “You could’ve lost all of your feathers and it would’ve been my fault.”

    “This isn’t your fault.”

    “Yes, it is.”

    “No, I’m the one who brought this upon myself-”

    “But I love you too!” Lance interrupted, “And I’ve been a coward! I should’ve told you months ago! You’ve been in pain because I didn’t do anything about it!” Lance cried, obviously distressed. But Keith was so shocked he couldn’t even realize how close Lance was to crying.

    Lance….he…he….?

    Lance seemed to realize what he had said, cheeks flushing a little bit pink. The ‘about to burst’ attitude fell, leaving another wave of silence between them. Keith hardly even breathed, unable to believe what had just happened. Lance seemed to be shocked too, but more embarrassed than anything. He dropped his hands from Keith’s face, ducking his head as his cheeks flared with red.

    “…Sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled.” Lance mumbled, voice barely audible.

    “W-wait, you-”

    “Yeah…It’s been like…seven months?” Lance mumbled, kinda smiling. At least he was smiling. Keith relaxed, or at least, relaxed as much as he could. His heart was beating on overdrive. “Sorry, I just kind of feel like this is all my fault-”

    “No, it’s not, it’s really not.” Keith encouraged, “…I’m okay now, right?” Lance nodded softly. They blushed a little bit, looking at each other quietly.

    Another moment of silence stilled the giddy atmosphere surrounding them, making the two of them even overwhelmed with joy.

    “….So, you’re in love with me?” Lance asked, a smile still on his cheeks. Keith felt a giddiness rise in him that he’d never really felt before.

    “Yeah. And you’re-”

    “Head over heels. Guilty as charged.” Lance put his hands up in defeat, his smile getting a little bit bigger. Keith felt like he was going to faint from happiness.

    “…Really?” Lance kind of laughed, but nodded softly, slight embarrassment showing.

    “…Yeah, really really.” he confirmed softly.

    “Are you sure?”

    “Positive.”

    “You’re not kidding.” Keith asked, anxiety already filling him, but kind of in a good way. Lance gently cupped Keith’s face again,

    “Why would I ever joke about that?” he asked, voice as soft as his expression. Keith giggled a little, feeling ridiculous for having to ask so many times, but Lance didn’t mind in the least. They took a moment to simply look at each other, grinning brightly. The silence wasn’t awkward, nor was it tense. Both of them were perfectly content sitting close legs, brushing comfortably against one another.

    Suddenly, a small impulse bubbled inside of Keith, a little thing he had wanted to do for so long. He couldn’t help himself to at least ask before he did it. After all, this had gone on for a year. And now that he had the knowledge that Lance liked him…well…how could he resist?

    “….May I kiss you?” he asked, voice bashful with embarrassment. For a moment, Lance looked shocked that he asked, cheeks brighter than ever. But slowly Lance nodded, kind of smiling in a nervous way.

    Keith wasted no more time.

    He ducked in, closing the space between them eagerly. Lance made a cute happy noise, jumping a little bit with surprise. Keith smiled into the kiss, feeling suddenly at peace despite his heart going crazy.

    Lance was gentle with him, pushing his lips quietly against Keith’s in delicate, loving movements. Keith knew for a fact that Lance had never kissed a single person in his life, not even when he went on dates (not that Keith was any better). He’d always said ‘I want to save my first kiss for the one, the perfect one!’, it only made the experience all the more delightful. But what made Keith was surprised was how well Lance kissed. He caught him multiple times having fake makeout sessions with his pillows and sometimes his hand to mimic the feeling of lips. It ended up in a lot of cursing and blushing during their high school years and Keith teased him relentlessly for it. The simple thought made him giggle against Lance’s lips. Maybe Keith shouldn’t have made fun of him, his kissing practice had paid off.

    Keith let his hands wrap around Lance again, holding him tightly against his chest as they pressed just a little bit closer. Lance’s hands wandered into Keith’s hair as Keith giggled just a little bit more. Lance smiled, keeping him close with tender touches everywhere on his head.

    A sudden tingling feeling overwhelmed Keith. He gasped a little bit, realizing his wings were unfurling. Lance gently pulled away, but continued to hug Keith as he watched bright red wings burst from his back once more. Oh, yeah. Lance had forgotten. If they had kissed sooner, that would’ve happened faster, but honestly Lance was glad it ended this way. Keith paused, panting for a second to get his much needed breath back. But he felt warm, and he felt really good. The aches in his wings had stopped and they were finally cozy under their feathers again. His bright beautiful wings glimmered in the light, suddenly getting extremely puffy. Lance giggled as Keith blushed, tucking them nervously.

    “It’s okay that you’re embarrassed.” Lance smiled softly, leaning over and pecking Keith’s forehead. His wings only poofed up even more. But, to Keith’s relief, he found Lance’s feathers fluffing up too. Unable to resist, he leaned over, brushing his fingers against Lance’s pastel blue down. Lance held back a laugh. Keith knew how ticklish he was, so he kept on petting.

    Lance thrashed around on the couch, breaking into a fit of giggles as he buried his fingers in the down. But just as Keith thought he had the upper hand, Lance’s hands shot up, fingers pushing into Keith’s wings. He let out a squeal, laughing hard, his whole belly shaking.

    They tickled each other a moment longer, just long enough for Keith to realize how lucky he was.

    And it wasn’t because of the feathers.

    Now he had Lance. Wonderful, spectacular, amazing, beautiful, Lance.

    And he was happy.


End file.
